


Dog Days

by airedis



Category: SHINee
Genre: M/M, Shapeshifting, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-04 10:11:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3063992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/airedis/pseuds/airedis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jonghyun's life was pretty routine up until he saved an unusual dog and got more than he bargained for</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dog Days

The shelter that Jonghyun worked at was only a twenty minute walk from his apartment which, on most days, was a blessing because it meant he saved a fortune on gas money. But with the skies in the middle of a raging and horrendous apocalypse, Jonghyun's relatively short commute on foot turned into a mad dash to make it home before he somehow got impossibly more wet. Within minutes of setting foot out from beneath the protective awning the young man had become soaked from head to toe and his shoes squished uncomfortably as he raced back to his apartment. And to think, the forecast had predicted sunny skies for the whole week.

_Of all the days to leave my umbrella at home_ , Jonghyun cursed as he futilely covered his head at a stop light.

When the light turned, he jumped over a large puddle pooling at the base of the curb and darted across the street. He wasn't that far from his apartment but the wind started to pick up, battering even more rain into his already drenched frame. Jonghyun bit the inside of his cheek as cold water seeped into his jeans, slowly climbing higher up his legs.

At the first rumble of thunder, Jonghyun jerked and picked up his pace. He was about to turn onto the block his apartment building was on when he caught sight of a huddled mass amidst a pile of large cardboard boxes. He paused, the dog had its head ducked in between its front paws and its ears were plastered against its head. Jonghyun was caught between wanting to find something to cover the dog with and wanting to get himself to somewhere dry but then there was a crack of thunder and Jonghyun's attention was stolen by a frightened, pained yelp.

Unable to fight his curiosity, Jonghyun crept closer and studied the dog. It barely raised its eyes to him but its tail thumped back and forth weakly. Amidst the black and tan fur, Jonghyun saw red mixed into the dog's coat and when a streak of lightning lit up the sky once more, he saw a series of large, shallow gashes running across the animal's side. The dog lifted its head and whimpered quietly again.

_Shit_ , he thought, staring at its pathetic face. _Now you've got me._

At once, Jonghyun made his decision and slowly, so as to not startle the poor thing, reached his hand out to the dog. It sniffed his hand for only a second before a tongue came out to lick across the pads of his fingers. Jonghyun ran his hand over the dog's head before he carefully reached his arms out to wrap around the dog's middle to pick it up. He had expected the dog to growl at him or maybe to have to pull back so that he wouldn't get bit, but the dog came into his arms without a fuss and Jonghyun carefully cradled the dog against his chest as he stood up.

The dog wasn't exactly small, a medium sized breed that hung its head over his shoulder and took up all the space his arms had to offer. He moved away from the boxes it had been hiding amongst and hefted it higher in his arms so that he could hold it more securely, careful not to jostle it too much. He had the dog's good side pressed against his chest and he made sure to keep his hands away from the scratches as he took a deep breath and set off down the street.

The rain hadn't lessened any and the dog was certainly no chihuahua. If Jonghyun could wish himself to his apartment he'd do it in a heartbeat, because running through the rain with a large dog wasn't quite his idea of a good time but what could he do? He had always been weak to puppy eyes. Luckily, he hadn't been that far away and reached his door in a matter of minutes, more winded than he'd like to admit. (He went to the gym regularly but he wasn't in the habit of running with a full-sized dog in his arms and the animal must have weighed at least 30 pounds.)

Getting his key into the lock had been a bit of a challenge but after nudging the door open, Jonghyun was able to slip his wet, disgusting shoes off before he tracked water all over his carpet, for all the good it did him. The first thing he did was make his way to the bathroom and turn the tub on, letting the water run until it became warm. He set the dog down on the floor, petting its head soothingly for a minute.

"Don't worry buddy, we'll get you nice and clean," he said.

As he waited for the water to warm up, he peeled off his shirt and jeans, chucking his wet clothing into the bathroom sink to deal with later. He rubbed a towel over his hair to stop it from dripping all over the place, draping it across his shoulders when it became time to wash the dog. Washing the dog was a surprisingly uncomplicated process; it seemed to be tired and it was quite content to let Jonghyun pour warm water over it. The floor of the tub quickly became muddied and it wasn't until the water finally ran clear that Jonghyun turned off the tap.

When the dog listlessly shook the water from its fur, Jonghyun became covered in water in a strange case of deja vu. He grabbed a towel and even when Jonghyun patted the animal down, it didn't snap at him or shy away. In fact, it seemed to understand everything that Jonghyun was doing. It laid quietly on its side as Jonghyun treated the scratches that were no longer scabbed in blood. But when he was finished and the dog rolled over to follow Jonghyun to the living room, he realized he had another problem to treat.

The dog was limping, its front right paw curled up off the ground. Jonghyun hadn't noticed it when he was washing it earlier because the dog had been turned away from him but here, it was obvious.

"Oh, what happened to you?" Jonghyun wondered sadly as he reached toward the dog's paw. Before he could touch it, it let out a frightened yelp and its paw curled further into its body.

Jonghyun made soothing shushing noises at it, cooing softly as he stroked the dog's back. "It's okay, buddy. I'm just gonna take a look at it." When he reached for the dog's paw again it didn't retreat, instead allowing Jonghyun to carefully feel around the wrist.

_Looks like a sprain_ , Jonghyun thought worriedly. He went to the kitchen to get an ice pack and a dish towel and placed them on the coffee table. Then he went back to the dog and picked him up with a quiet, _come on buddy_ , and brought him over to the couch. Jonghyun settled himself down first and then pulled the dog up on the couch with him, letting the animal get comfortable before he wrapped the towel around the ice pack and gently pressed it to the dog's wrist. The dog whimpered a little but when it settled its head on Jonghyun's knee, Jonghyun gave it a reassuring pat on the head.

He sat for a minute, brushing his hand across the dog's back, and ran through all the things he'd have to do for the dog in the coming days. He had a good dog bed from all the times he'd fostered some dogs here and there but he'd need to go get food in the morning and, after talking with Jinki the next day, he'd have to think about putting up flyers about a lost dog. But in the mean time...

"What should I call you, huh?" The dog snuffled against his pajama pants, head shifting to rest across Jonghyun's thigh.

"What about 'Haengun'?" Jonghyun smiled, "because you're lucky I found you." He scratched behind the dog's ears and laughed when it tried to lick his hand. "Haengun it is then."

It was nice, sitting on the couch with Haengun and being able to pet him. He hadn't had a dog in his apartment in a while and even though he saw dog after dog every day at the shelter, it just didn't compare to having an animal right there beside him in his downtime. He hadn't had a pet at home since Roo in high school and it made him feel a little nostalgic and maybe more than a touch lonely. Haengun seemed to pick up on his mood and bumped his nose against Jonghyun's stomach.

When he'd iced the dog's wrist for long enough, he set the ice pack aside and brought out the dog bed and a couple of blankets. After he'd set everything up, he carried Haengun over to the bed and loosely tucked him in, scratching behind the dog's ears once more.

"Tomorrow morning we'll get you properly settled in, okay?" he said with a small smile. Haengun licked his wrist and Jonghyun went off to get into bed himself.

-

One minute Jonghyun was asleep and the next he was awake and decidedly colder than he had been before. He sat up lazily, already wide awake, and saw that his blanket had suddenly disappeared. The culprit was at the side of his bed, curled tail wagging back and forth excitedly, with Jonghyun's blanket in his mouth. Haengun dropped the blanket and barked happily, his tail wagging more happily now that Jonghyun was truly up. He was up on his hind legs, front paws braced against the side of the bed and Jonghyun couldn't help himself. He rolled over, holding the dog's face in his hands and Haengun immediately started trying to lick his face. Jonghyun let him, scratching Haengun's neck and carefully checking the cuts on his side before he got up.

Haengun followed him out to the kitchen, still limping a little but looking much better than before. The scratches on his side seemed to have healed well over night but maybe they just weren't as bad as Jonghyun had thought at the time. Still, he'd have to ice Haengun's wrist again, especially since he was walking around on it already. Jonghyun pulled out the ice pack again, wrapping it up and sat down at the table. As if understanding what Jonghyun was doing, Haengun came over before Jonghyun even had to call him and laid his head down on Jonghyun's leg. He slowly brought his wounded leg up to rest against Jonghyun's leg and, after quickly ruffling the dog's fur as reward for his good behavior, Jonghyun set the ice pack against Haengun's wrist.

"We're going to have to get you something to eat," Jonghyun said, looking down at Haengun. "You hungry, boy?"

Haengun's tail bounced happily in reply and once he'd finished icing Haengun's leg, he took a quick shower and was ready to head out to the pet shop.

"Sit tight, Haengunnie," Jonghyun called on his way out of the door. "I'll be back with food in a bit." Haengun barked in response and Jonghyun was off.

The local specialty dog store, Bone Appetit, was located halfway between Jonghyun's apartment and the rescue shelter he worked at. He'd often stopped there on his way home when he needed to get something for any of the dogs he'd fostered and they were more than familiar with him there. A chime went off when he opened the door and he saw the little heads of Kibum's dogs Comme des and Garcons pop up from behind the counter. Kibum himself was seated next to their bed, a tablet on in front of him. Kibum glanced up at him and offered a lazy greeting before staring back at the screen.

"Whatcha looking at?" Jonghyun asked leaning against the counter, craning his head to get a look at the device.

"Carrie Munden has a new line out," Kibum muttered, eyes fixed row after row of photos of clothes.

Jonghyun made a noise and pushed away, looking around for what he needed. The walls were lined with collars, beds, and even clothes for dogs and there were displays of all different kinds of toys scattered about the store's floor. At the front was a display case of elaborate, dog-friendly desserts and in the back corner was - ah, that's what he was looking for.  Jonghyun stared at the stacks of numerous types of bagged dog food and wondered what would be best for Haengun. When he made his choice, he picked up one of the smaller bags and hefted it onto the counter.

"Fostering again?" Kibum asked as he finally tore his eyes away from his tablet. He began ringing Jonghyun up as his dogs hopped up onto the counter to greet the man.

"Nope. Rescued a wounded dog last night," Jonghyun replied. Comme des' nails clicked excitedly against the countertop. "I figure I'll only have him for a little while though."

"Yeah? How is he?"

"Doing pretty good actually." Jonghyun picked up Comme des, bouncing him as he thought about Haengun. "He looked pretty miserable last night but this morning he was really...lively," his voice was colored with surprise and confusion. Haengun hadn't been able to put any weight on his paw last night but he seemed almost miraculously better after only one night.

"Oh," Jonghyun said as he put Comme des back on the counter. The little dog jumped right into its bed right next to Garcons. "Let me have one of these too." Jonghyun figured that to heal well meant to be happy, and that meant dessert was definitely in order. Haengun was going to be spoiled as long as he hung around with Jonghyun.

He paid for Haengun's things and left, bidding Kibum goodbye, and began his walk back. And though the forecast still boasted a sunny and clear sky, Jonghyun nearly got caught in another downpour on his way back to his apartment. By the time he rounded the corner onto his block the sky had darkened considerably and a foreboding roll of thunder sounded in the distance. No sooner than he had toed the door shut behind him had a considerably heavy rain started to fall. Needless to say, Jonghyun decided to take his bike to work after that.

-

"And he doesn't have any tags or anything?"

"Nope," Jonghyun leaned back in his chair. "No tags, no collar." His brow creased in thought. "But he has to be someone's pet because he's way too friendly and trusting for a stray."

"Unless he's a stray that's used to being around people," Jinki pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess so. But I think I should probably put up fliers just in case."

"Just be careful. We don't know h- ow!" The shelter's resident hellcat, Taemin, had just nipped Jinki's finger. Taemin settled down comfortably in Jinki's lap, claws nestled in the hem of Jinki's shirt. "We don't know how he got hurt," Jinki sighed.

Jonghyun frowned. "I hadn't thought of that."

He watched as Jinki stroked the cat's ginger fur lovingly. They'd gotten Taemin a couple years back when he was just a kitten; someone had had a litter that they couldn't keep and they'd dumped them all off at the rescue shelter. All of the rest of the litter had gone off to happy homes but after Taemin had been returned twice, Jinki had suggested that they just keep Taemin there for themselves instead of keeping him up for adoption. Jinki might as well have taken Taemin home with him for all that he was really Jinki's cat now but Taemin preferred to roam the shelter of his own free will. He was a bit of a brat but Jonghyun knew Jinki really cared for him and Jonghyun might have a soft spot for the little devil on his better days. (Or - at least he liked the little guy when Taemin wasn't scratching up his calves that was.)

"What kind of dog is it, by the way?" Jinki asked and Jonghyun looked up at him.

"Oh. Um. I don't actually know. Here," Jonghyun rifled through his pockets for his phone. "I took a picture of him this morning, before I left. I was hoping you could tell me actually."

Jinki took the phone and studied it for a minute. "He looks...like a Kai Ken." Jinki turned to stare at him and his expression was bewildered. "They're really rare, Jonghyun."

"Oh, wow." Jonghyun took his phone back and his expression became thunderous as he slipped his phone back in his pocket. "He better not have had a dangerous owner."

"That's why you should be careful. Are you prepared to take care of him?"

Taemin jumped from Jinki's lap then, startling both of them.

"Sure? I mean, I can keep him at my apartment until he's better and then - well, either keep him or bring him here."

"As long as you're prepared, I guess."

And Jonghyun thought he was. He'd fostered dogs before, had a dog growing up - he knew dogs. But Haengun was an anomaly all himself because when Jonghyun walked in the door, Haengun was sitting there waiting, tail flicking back and forth and mouth split in a doggy grin. Jonghyun reached down to scratch Haengun's head, wondering where this dog came from. He was too friendly to be a stray but with no tags it would be hard for Jonghyun to find the owner, if there was one. He set about making dinner, pausing only to guide Haengun to his bed when the dog kept limping after him.

But the dog couldn't have been doing too bad because after he'd finished eating, Jonghyun retired to the couch and Haengun shakily hopped up beside him. He laid down like he had the night before, with his head on Jonghyun's leg and Jonghyun had the sense the this could be very dangerous; he easily got attached to things and with a dog as loveable as this, Jonghyun was sure to fall hard when the time came where he'd have to give him up. But in the meantime, he turned on the television and finally landed on some conspiracy theory program.

Jonghyun had a bit of a weakness for conspiracy theories. Things like aliens and super powers were the stuff of his favorite books growing up and it was a hobby that had never quite left him as he slipped into adulthood. The narrator of the show was talking about how there were "creatures thought only to be myth, but they are in fact...real" and Jonghyun was hooked. He sat back comfortably, hand on Haengun's back and watched with interest as the narrator introduced shapeshifters.

There was a loud swell of music from the show and Haengun whined lowly. Jonghyun pulled the dog a little closer to himself and spent the remainder of the half hour program with his eyes glued to the television. He could never really say if he believed in any of the things people said about extra terrestrials or mythical creatures but he certainly loved thinking about it.

"Well that was cool," Jonghyun said as he stretched his arms over his head. Haengun let out a yawn, tongue lolling out of his mouth for a moment.

"Hey Haengunnie," Jonghyun lightly cradled Haengun's head between his hands. "Do you want a treat?" Haengun's ears perked at this. _Must be a pet then_ , Jonghyun thought. "You want a treat?" He asked again, voice treading suspiciously close into baby talk territory. Haengun's doggy grin reappeared and Jonghyun slapped his thigh as he got up. "Okay, let's get you that treat."

-

Over the next few days, Jonghyun's daily routine hardly varied from the way it was before he'd picked up Haengun – except for when he got home he had a dog waiting for him by the door and a buddy to keep him company until he went to bed. Haengun was healing remarkably well, the wounds on his side barely even visible. Jonghyun started to wonder if he'd misjudged Haengun's leg too because four days after finding him, Haengun was walking normally and had even started to prance up and down excitedly whenever Jonghyun was going to feed him.

The little rascal had even started jumping on Jonghyun's bed and licking his face to wake him up in the morning. Jonghyun had put up fliers the day after he'd talked to Jinki about it and he was prepared to be very conscientious about anyone claiming to be Haengun's owners but he needn't have worried. No one had contacted him about Haengun yet.

Jonghyun didn't know whether to be worried or delighted because there was a good chance that Haengun was going to end up being his dog. And at this point, if someone didn't step up as Haengun's owner, Jonghyun was more than a little too ready to take up the position himself. Haengun had almost effortlessly fit into Jonghyun's life in a matter of only a few days and Jonghyun wasn't sure he was able to give the dog up anymore.

When Jonghyun went to work that morning (with the weather finally living up to the flawless forecast the weatherman had been predicting all week) he expected the day to go as every other day had gone. He took for granted the simplicity of his routine and expected to leave work, go home, and find Haengun there waiting for him at the door. He expected to make dinner and then watch television with Haengun on the couch and then maybe read a little before bed. He expected that the day would be just like all the others had been because he had no reason to believe it wouldn't be.

But when he opened the door the routine was already broken because Haengun was not waiting there like he normally was. And as Jonghyun looked around the room curiously, Haengun still didn't come out to greet him.

"Haengun?" Jonghyun called out hesitantly. The door had been locked, there was no way Haengun could have gotten out. Did his injuries suddenly get worse while Jonghyun was at work? "Haengun?" He called again, a touch more frantically.

He toed off his shoes quickly, door slamming behind him in his haste to get inside to look for his dog. Hundreds of awful scenarios were running through his brain but everything stopped when Jonghyun reached his room. After the first night, Jonghyun had pulled Haengun's bed into his room under the flimsy excuse of being able to watch him easier, ignoring the fact that it was really just because he had already grown really attached to the dog. And Jonghyun found something in his room but it wasn't Haengun.

There in Haengun's bed was a forlorn looking man in a very worn looking shirt and pair of jeans. But it wasn't his clothing that Jonghyun was concerned with, or even the fact that the man was sitting in his dog's bed. What Jonghyun was concerned with was that there was a strange, unknown man in his apartment and Jonghyun had no idea how he'd gotten there. Acting on instinct, Jonghyun yelled and leaped back, eyes searching for the nearest object that he could use as a weapon.

"Who the hell are you?" he yelled. "How the fuck did you get in my apartment?" His hands found his guitar, propped up against the wall in the living room and he brandished it in front of himself threateningly.

The man in the dog bed looked ashamed and maybe a little hurt and for an irrational second Jonghyun wondered why before he snapped back to himself and realized again that there was some random guy sitting in his apartment, in his dog's bed and he had no idea why.

"Jonghyun, please." His voice was low and scratchy and Jonghyun readied his guitar again as the man stood up. He was almost overwhelmingly tall, at least a head taller than Jonghyun and Jonghyun's instincts went right back into high alert.

"How do you know my name?" Jonghyun tried to sound fearsome but his voice cracked and he was honestly just scared out of his mind.

The guys' eyes were large and round and he looked so worried and he broke into Jonghyun's house, why did he look like a kicked puppy. Wait -

“What the hell did you do with my dog, asshole?"

"Wait, Jonghyun," the man pleaded and he raised his hands in placation when Jonghyun shook the guitar in front of him. "I can explain, just don't hit me."

Jonghyun paused at that. He had never heard of someone bargaining in this sort of situation. Still, he kept his guitar out in front of him but raised an eyebrow at the man.

"Okay. Explain."

The man let out a heavy sigh. "You know the program we watched the other day?"

Jonghyun made a face at that. _We?_ Seeing Jonghyun's face, the man blanched and backtracked.

"You and...Haengun watched a program the other day. About shapeshifters. Do you remember?"

Jonghyun scoffed. "Yeah, but what does that have to - " He looked at the man's earnest face. "Oh, don't tell me you think you're a shapeshifter." Jonghyun moved to the side and gestured at the door with the guitar. "Go on. I don't need any crazy guys in my house."

"Wait! Please," he took a step closer and when Jonghyun took a step back and raised his guitar again, the man jerked back.

He looked so shaken that despite everything in his head telling him not to, Jonghyun started to get concerned.

"You work at the shelter a couple blocks away with a man named Jinki. You talk about him a lot and the cat that bites him all the time. You used to have a dog named Roo."

Jonghyun took a step back. "Have you been stalking me?" His eyes were wide and scared now.

"No!" The man nearly shouted. He took a deep breath and then started talking again, faster this time. "You bought me a cake. You - you bought Haengun a cake. And the second night, after we watched that show together you gave me some." The man looked like he was starting to get choked up.

"You picked me up that night when it was raining and you brought me here. You iced my wrist. You fed me. It's because of you that...that I'm even alive right now."

The man was staring at the floor and he looked so sincere and hurt that Jonghyun decided, against his better judgment, to give him a chance.

"Prove it."

The man's head jerked up. "What?"

"Prove it," Jonghyun repeated defiantly. "If you're really Haengun then show me."

The man's face brightened for a second before his expression fell. "I...I can't change right now. I don't have the energy."

Jonghyun raised his guitar again, mouth already open to get the man out of his house but the man looked at him hesitantly.

"I...still have those scratches on my side. If you want to see them..." He trailed off, looking unsure.

Jonghyun sized him up again. He was taller than Jonghyun was but Jonghyun thought he had more muscle than the other guy. If it came to it, Jonghyun probably wouldn't be able to outrun him but he'd likely be able to overpower the man.

"Okay," Jonghyun said. "Show me."

The man paused for a second before he lifted up his shirt. For a split second Jonghyun couldn't see anything and he was convinced that there was something wrong with the guy's head. But then the man turned his side a little more toward Jonghyun and he saw them - several thin, scabbed over cuts running the length of his side. In a stupid move fueled by curiosity, Jonghyun crept closer to the man to inspect the scratches. He'd spent a lot of time caring for Haengun and he could easily conjure up the image of Haengun's cuts the night Jonghyun found him. Looking at the ones on the man's side, they seemed to match up to where Haengun's wounds were and, without thinking, Jonghyun reached out to touch them.

The man jerked back and, startled from the movement, Jonghyun's hand shot out to stop him. His hand closed around the man's right wrist and the man hissed as Jonghyun tugged.

"Careful," he said through gritted teeth. "It's still a little sore."

_Sore? Oh -_

Jonghyun loosened his grip but didn't let go. He turned the man's wrist around in his hand gently. He wasn't familiar with human injuries in quite the way he was with animal ones but he lightly prodded around the man's wrist, ceasing when the man's hand twitched in his grip.

"Let me see your other hand," he said in a much gentler tone than he'd used with the man before.

The man held up his other hand slowly and Jonghyun took it, comparing the man's wrists. Sure enough, his right wrist was a little more swollen than his left and Jonghyun could see faded bruising around the bone. He dropped both of the man's hands and stepped back.

"Why were you a dog when I found you?"

The man's face transformed into something of quiet relief before he schooled his features back into a calmer expression. He shrugged a shoulder and replied, "people are more likely to help a wounded dog than a dirty, homeless guy."

"So why aren't you still a dog then? You'd have to know that whoever took you in would flip out if they saw some stranger in their house."

"You didn't really flip out," the man started to say but Jonghyun lifted the hand with the guitar in it and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, yeah, you kind of did. But...I can't really stay in dog form for too long. It takes up too much energy."

Jonghyun's face screwed up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, being in human form only takes up a normal amount of energy," the man started slowly. "Whatever energy it takes you to do something, it takes the same amount for me. But as a dog, it takes the amount of energy to say, run around the room, but also an extra amount of energy in order to maintain the form."

Jonghyun made a little noise and crossed his arms. "So you can't change right now because you stayed a dog for too many days and it drained your energy?" He wasn't sure he bought this but the other man didn't really seem dangerous. In fact, now that Jonghyun had calmed down a little, he could see that the man looked exhausted. He didn't seem to pose as much of a threat as he had before.

"Right."

"Wait - you _were_ a dog the whole time right?" He suddenly had a terrifying thought. "What the hell were you doing the whole time I was at work? Oh god - I changed in front of you."

The man looked away, cheeks tinged pink. "I looked away," he mumbled.

Jonghyun released a nervous breath. The man could be lying but, if he thought about it, Jonghyun couldn't remember any strange behavior from Haengun: just an uncanny intelligence and sense of awareness when Jonghyun talked to him. That made more sense now, actually.

"I've been in dog form since the night you found me. I mostly just slept while you were gone." He finally looked back up and Jonghyun was shocked by the honesty he saw in the other man's eyes. He wasn't sure he had any idea what the hell was going on but somehow he believed that this man was telling the truth about everything.

"So what happens next then?" Jonghyun asked. Because now he was just trying to navigate this system as best as he could but what exactly was he supposed to do in this sort of situation?

"Now...I leave, I guess." The man wasn't meeting Jonghyun's eyes anymore.

"That's it? I rescue a hurt dog - you - and you laze around in my house until you get better and now you're just going to leave? What was the point of all," he flailingly gestured at the man. "This?" Jonghyun was raising his voice but he honestly didn't care at this point. All of his previous fear was now coming out in frustration.

"I wanted...to thank you. For saving me." The man locked eyes with Jonghyun and there was all of his sincerity again, hitting Jonghyun full force. It was staggering. "So, thank you."

"Well where are you going to go?" Jonghyun blurted out, exasperated. He considered himself to be a pretty easy-going kind of guy but it seemed a lot more inviting to let a wounded stray stick around your apartment than a stranger with dirty clothes. But he also had nowhere else to go and Jonghyun was an idiot. He had too big of a heart for his own good and he was leading this stranger right into it with an open door and welcome arms. (He may or may not also still have that weak spot for puppy eyes and, man, this guy had some serious puppy eyes.)

The man suddenly looked self-conscious, even more than he had when Jonghyun found him sitting in Haengun's - his - bed. He nervously scratched his arm and looked away. "I don't know. Somewhere."

Jonghyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What he was about to do was potentially the stupidest, most reckless decision he'd ever made in his life (and, admittedly, he'd made a lot of really stupid, reckless decisions) but his mind was made and his resolved was steeled.

"Do you want to stay here?"

The man's eyes grew almost impossibly larger. "Jonghyun, no, I couldn't. You've already done so much for me already, I couldn't stay here." He was babbling and waving his hands at Jonghyun and it looked strange coming from such a tall, imposing-looking guy.

"Do you _want_ to stay here?" Jonghyun asked again.

The man stopped. "...yes. I do."

Jonghyun rubbed a hand over his face. "Then you can stay."

The man let out a rush of air and for a second Jonghyun thought the guy was going to run over and hug him. But instead his face lit up with a wide smile and Jonghyun carefully pushed away the thought that maybe he'd done a good thing.

"What's your name?" he asked finally. "It's - it's not actually Haengun is it?"

The man stared at him solemnly and Jonghyun started, apologies pouring from his mouth, "oh god, I'm so sorry. If I'd known that I would have given you a better name. I -"

But then the man's lips quirked up and Jonghyun quieted as he barked out a loud, rich laugh.

"No," he said, smile wide on his face. "No, my name's Minho."

-

Despite Jonghyun offering his home to Minho, they still lived very mindfully of each other and, in the occasions that they would meet in Jonghyun's small apartment, they moved very awkwardly around each other. Minho was still essentially a complete stranger and Jonghyun was now trying to adjust the way he lived to accommodate an extra person. Jonghyun felt like he was hyper aware of everything that Minho did, where he was, the small accumulation of his dishes that piled up next to Jonghyun's own in the sink. Minho lived very discreetly in Jonghyun's apartment, imposing himself and his presence as little as possible. They tip toed around each other in a way that Jonghyun was not used to doing with anyone else. For the first two days after Minho began living with him as a human, Jonghyun would have forgotten that there was anyone else there were it not for the soft turn of a page of a book or the tinny clink of a spoon against a bowl. He was so quiet.

It wasn't until nearly a week after Minho had "moved in" that Jonghyun worked up the strength to ask him about himself.

They were in the kitchen together and Jonghyun was making dinner, Minho hovering around the counter in a way that was reminiscent of how, as a dog, he would sit at Jonghyun's feet and stare up at Jonghyun cooking. The feeling created a pang of sadness in Jonghyun, which was silly because Haengun was technically still _right there_ but Jonghyun had to admit that he really missed having Haengun around. With he and Minho being so careful around each other, it made it hard to feel like he'd made the right decision to let him stay.

"So how did you get hurt?" Jonghyun asked out of nowhere. From the corner of his eye he could see Minho jump at his sudden question. Jonghyun could feel the other man staring at him but he didn't look up from the cutting board.

"I was," Minho hesitated but Jonghyun pretended to stay focused on his task. "I was trying to get something to eat."

But that threw him off and Jonghyun looked up, perplexed. "All of that from getting food?" he asked, gesturing wildly at Minho.

"I might have been trying to steal it," Minho mumbled as he looked away.

"Oh," Jonghyun replied dumbly. There were a couple of beats of silence before he asked, "why did you need to steal food?"

Minho sighed and Jonghyun was about to retract his question but Minho had already started talking.

"I used to live with an old woman. I don't know how she found me but she raised me from when I was really young. A couple of years ago, she died and I was left on my own. Her family took everything she'd owned and I was tossed out on the street."

Jonghyun, realizing that this was going to be a more complicated answer than he'd expected, tossed everything into a pan and turned the stove on. He took a seat at the table to listen properly but Minho kept his place at the counter.

"I went to school when I was younger but granny didn't have a lot of money so I never went to college and the rest of the world isn't really okay with that. I've never been able to find any sort of job that paid well enough for me to be able to eat regularly. When that happened, I usually just became a dog and tried to get food that way."

Minho's mouth quirked into a wry smile. "People tend to be more inclined to help dogs than people."

For some reason, Jonghyun felt really embarrassed. But Minho kept talking, so Jonghyun listened.

"Before you found me, it had been a while since I'd eaten. I've been sort of wandering since granny died so I'm not actually familiar with this town. But I found a gas station and there was a display case outside. There was an older couple inside running the place but I thought that from behind the register they wouldn't be able to see me. I tried to slip some food but they caught me."

Minho leaned back against the counter and looked off to the side, staring out the window with crossed arms as he spoke. "The woman came out with a broom of all things and slammed it down hard on my wrist," Minho brought his wrist up and experimentally twirled it. The bruising had faded a while ago but he still seemed to have trouble using it.

"Then the man took the broom from her and chased me down the street. I fell pretty hard when I ran away and I think he might have kicked me but I don't really remember."

Minho shook his head. "I just wanted to get away."

Jonghyun looked at him in confusion. "Then what did you turn into a dog for?"

Minho didn't answer right away and Jonghyun was afraid that he'd asked something wrong. He sat there as the silence stretched on for a while longer before Minho began again, his voice sounding like he was somewhere far away in his head.

"I'm faster as dog - it was easier to run and hide. And since I was hurt, I was more likely to get someone to help me as a dog instead of as a human. I heal faster that way too."

Minho looked at him and, still sounding far away, he said, "thank you again for taking me in."

"Well, how was I just supposed to leave an injured dog in the rain?" Jonghyun said stubbornly.

"Really." Minho's eyes were shining fiercely again, just like they had the night that he had revealed himself to Jonghyun. "Thank you for everything. Let me know whatever I can help you with. I'll repay you for everything you've given me. I'll try and find a job and pay you back."

Jonghyun couldn't take it anymore.

"This is your home now! Just live normally." It was like the cap he had on his bottle of emotions had finally been wrenched off. He was sick of the way they were acting around each other, like frightened deer, spooked at any instance of interaction with the other. "You don't have to be so careful. Don't be afraid to speak up or ask for things or -" Jonghyun ran a hand through his hair. "I'm trying to help you out here but you gotta meet me half way."

"I'm sorry," Minho said quietly.

"Don't be sorry just help me out. I'm a little new to this whole thing, you know."

Minho looked down with a small smile quirking at the corners of his lips. "I know."

"So. Do we both agree to properly communicate from now on so that things stop being so weird between us?"

Minho's smile was growing and he looked a little bashful. "Yeah, I think I can do that."

"I know we don't know each other well but I think we could get along pretty damn good if we tried," Jonghyun said seriously.

"I think so too," Minho said, finally looking at Jonghyun again.

"Good. Now that that's settled, what say you we have some dinner?"

(Their dinner was slightly burnt that night but, in light of the progress they'd made and the air that was finally cleared, Jonghyun rather felt it was worth it.)

-

When Minho started haphazardly pulling his hair back with twist ties and curling ribbon because it kept getting in the way, Jonghyun had suggested that he take Minho to get a haircut.

"Oh. That's okay? We can do that?" Minho had asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah? Why not?"

Minho had thanked him profusely and Jonghyun had set him up with an old bike of his that he'd repaired the previous summer. They set off together, Minho clearly eager but still trailing closely behind Jonghyun, winding through the streets of the town until they got to Jonghyun's favorite hair salon. Minho looked around excitedly, taking everything in like a child. It made Jonghyun wonder how long it had been since Minho had been able to live carelessly, not having to worry about getting food or where to sleep at night. The other man hadn't seemed too bothered by the life he'd had to live but Jonghyun knew it must have been taking its toll.

He left Minho to the hair dresser and sat down with a magazine. It wasn't a particularly interesting one but it kept him from watching over Minho like some kind of worrywart parent. Minho was a big boy, he could figure out what kind of haircut he wanted on his own. Soon enough, the bland magazine gave way to a weirdly compelling article about landfills and Jonghyun lost track of time. He looked up only when a shadow stopped over his magazine and blinked, his brain freezing for a second before Jonghyun felt like he had to manually restart it.

When Jonghyun had first come across Minho in his room, Minho's hair had been long and shaggy, a huge dirty, tangled mess on top of his head. But now it looked soft and clean and shiny and it made his eyes look even bigger than before. No longer was he a dirt-covered wanderer, but a handsome young man. Jonghyun knew he was staring but he couldn't seem to find it in himself to remember how to stop.

Minho's face, which had been expectant when Jonghyun had looked up, slowly morphed into concern. He brought a hand up to touch the back of his head and said, "Jonghyun? Is it not good?"

_No, it's_ very _good._

That snapped Jonghyun out of it. He shook his head quickly and said teasingly, "no, it looks great. I just didn't recognize you for a minute."

Minho's face twisted like he was trying to hold back a smile.

After Jonghyun had paid, the two of them left the salon. Now that Minho knew the route, he took the lead on the way back to Jonghyun's apartment. And maybe it was just Jonghyun's imagination but Minho seemed happier, more carefree now than he had since Jonghyun had found him. He watched silently as Minho led the way through the streets, the wind ruffling his hair and bringing out a calm smile. Although Minho never looked particularly unhappy in Jonghyun's apartment he was still very cautious about what he did; but out here in the sunshine with the wind behind him, he seemed to shine all on his own.

Over the course of the next day though, Jonghyun noticed that Minho was extremely fidgety.

The younger man just couldn't seem to sit still and was constantly pacing around the apartment, bouncing his legs, or wringing his hands. More than once, Minho would get up from his place at the couch and walk into the kitchen to aimlessly check the fridge, as if he just wanted something to do so that he wouldn't have to stay in one place. At one point, Jonghyun offered Minho his computer as a distraction but even then, Minho's leg shook up and down and his eyes wandered away from the screen. It wasn't until the sixth time that he'd paced up and down the hall that Jonghyun decided to put an end to it.

"Okay, what gives?"

Minho's head jerked up as if he was startled by Jonghyun's sudden question. Jonghyun supposed he might have been, as far away in his head as Minho seemed to be.

"What?"

"You haven't stopped moving all day," Jonghyun said with a pointed look at Minho's fingers tapping on the arm of the couch. "What's going on?"

Minho's eyes widened and his cheeks puffed out as he let out a breath. "It's nothing."

"Oh come on, it's not nothing. You've practically worn a hole in my carpet with all your pacing." Jonghyun let out an exasperated sigh. "What's wrong?"

"You wouldn't understand," Minho mumbled.

Jonghyun raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Try me."

Minho's hands fisted against the legs of his pants - Jonghyun's pants - and looked down and seemed to ready himself before he opened his mouth. "There's this...feeling that I have all the time. This sort of - buried compulsion to be a dog that's present all the time." He tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling.

"Usually I can just ignore it but if I haven't turned in a long time then it gets stronger and just -  being a dog is like slipping into a pair of well worn shoes sometimes. It just _fits_ , you know?"

At the sight of Jonghyun's expression, Minho backtracked. "Okay, well maybe you don't know, but it just feels right. I'm full of all this, I don't know, energy that wants to be used by being a dog, I guess. So I'm a little restless right now."

Jonghyun snorted. "A little?"

That at least got Minho to smile again and he looked a little more comfortable. "Okay, I'm a lot restless."

"Then why don't you change?"

Minho looked shocked. "That's okay with you?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Jonghyun asked, crossing his arms. "I did only think you were a real dog for like a week, remember?"

A strangled sort of noise erupted from Minho's mouth before he started laughing. Jonghyun honestly had no idea what he thought was so funny but, whatever it was, Minho was really amused by it and Jonghyun thought the younger man had a nice laugh that he wouldn't mind hearing more often. Before he had time to dwell on that thought, Minho was talking again, "you're right. Do you mind if I'm a dog for a little while then?"

"Nah, I could use some good company," Jonghyun said with a grin. Minho lightly punched his arm and then stood up from the couch and made his way down the hall. "Wait, where are you going?" Jonghyun called after him.

Minho paused and ducked his head. Jonghyun could see that his face was a little red.

"I don't want to turn in front of you," Minho said, embarrassed.

"Oh," he said, and Minho ducked into the bathroom. He was only gone for a few short seconds before a black nose was pushing the door out of the way and the dog was bounding down the hall. He crouched, tail wagging happily and Jonghyun only had a split second to prepare himself before Minho jumped on the couch and straight into Jonghyun's stomach.

"Oh geeze," he wheezed. "You're not light, you know."

Minho barked happily and settled down into the cushions and Jonghyun guessed that was that. Dog-Minho was a lot like person-Minho except that, right now, dog-Minho was a lot more comfortable palling around with Jonghyun than person-Minho ever let himself be. Minho settled himself into Jonghyun's side, nose nudging at Jonghyun's hand, and Jonghyun scratched his neck, fingers running over the shorter fur. Was it because Minho had gotten a haircut?

Jonghyun turned on the television and found a show, something that he'd used to love when he first started college, and leaned back into the cushions. He watched it idly, providing commentary and random facts every so often for Minho's amusement as his hand (unconsciously - he was sure of it) scratched lightly at Minho's side. Eventually, Minho rolled over to allow Jonghyun to rub his stomach, his tail thumping against the side of the couch lazily.

When the show ended, Jonghyun cracked his neck and looked down at Minho, who seemed to be dozing off.

"How about it? Ready for dinner?" he asked and Minho's ears perked up.

"Are you gonna be human again for dinner?" Minho whined at him pathetically. "Okay - dog-friendly food it is then."

Minho followed him into the kitchen, watching him prepare dinner as he had when Jonghyun still only knew him as Haengun. Minho was yipping happily at him, paws landing against the backs of his legs as he tried to get Jonghyun to give him food. Jonghyun was in the middle of chopping carrots when a thought occurred to him.

"Hey. Can you do tricks?" he asked, looking down at Minho. He raised a piece of carrot and said authoritatively, "sit."

Minho didn't have a human face that Jonghyun could easily read but he figured Minho was making the dog equivalent of "are you kidding me?" at him. Reluctantly, Minho sat, staring at Jonghyun like it was Jonghyun who was the strange one here. _Well, whatever_ , he thought. _Maybe I am_. Jonghyun tossed him the carrot and Minho wolfed it down quickly.

"...Did you even chew that? Bad dog." Jonghyun wagged a finger at Minho.

Minho barked at him and then trotted out of the kitchen. When the food was ready, Jonghyun found him rolling all over his bed, getting dog hair on Jonghyun's pillows.

"Hey!" he shouted and there was Minho's doggy grin again.

Dinner was a fairly normal affair, as far as things went. Jonghyun put Minho's plate down on the floor so that it would be easier for him to eat from instead of trying to balance on Jonghyun's tiny chairs as he ate. Once he'd put the dishes in the sink, Jonghyun retired to bed to read. Since it was one of his quieter nights, he allowed himself the simple pleasure of reading because, though he loved doing so, he was often too tired after work.

Minho followed him into the room and sat in his dog bed but, after Jonghyun had found his page, he patted the mattress on the spot next to him. Minho hopped up onto the bed and laid beside him, curling up warmly into Jonghyun's side. Tonight was cool and having Minho next to him felt comforting, even if he was usually fine on his own. Jonghyun read for a while, one hand propping open his book and the other resting against Minho's back as they both sat in silence. He realized that he was starting to fall asleep, eyes falling static to the lines of words on the pages so he put the book down and rolled over, face next to Minho.

Minho's eyes were closed, head resting against his paws and Jonghyun decided they both needed to wake up a little. So he took a deep breath, pressed his face to Minho's side, and blew. Minho rocketed away from him, all too alert and hackles raised. Jonghyun cheekily waved at him and Minho jumped on top of him, feet pushing into Jonghyun's stomach as he slobbered all over Jonghyun's face. Jonghyun weakly pushed at Minho, turning his head back and forth to get away from the smell of dog breath and Minho's rough tongue.

After a while, they both tired out, Minho crawling off of Jonghyun and Jonghyun falling back against his (still dog hair covered) pillows. The quiet stood out starkly now in the absence of Jonghyun's laughs and taunts and Minho's panting. Jonghyun, feeling content and particularly cuddly, scooted close and wrapped his arms around Minho's neck. He buried his face in the warm fur, at ease to finally be holding a dog again after such a long time. He'd fostered several dogs in the years that he'd worked at the shelter but they'd only been for short periods of time before the dogs were no longer his. He hadn't been able to keep them around with the security that he had with Minho.

It was nice.

-

The next morning, things were back to the way they were before. Jonghyun made himself breakfast, brought his laptop to the table with him and took the chance to waste his time before work for once. Minho was sleeping in the living room and, instead of waking him, Jonghyun enjoyed himself quietly in the small bit of time he had before he had to leave. In the quiet of the morning with only the refrigerator's hum filling in the silence, Jonghyun realized that he hadn't had much time to really rest since he'd picked up Minho. His whole routine had been thrown into chaos not only after rescuing an injured "dog" but again when Minho revealed himself to Jonghyun. And around all the confusion, life still went on.

Some time later, Minho shuffled in about fifteen minutes before Jonghyun planned to leave. Though he never ate breakfast until much later, well after Jonghyun had left for work, the taller man collapsed at the table. Minho blinked slowly over at him and Jonghyun was suddenly reminded that not everyone was a morning person like him. The thought was strangely consuming to him and as he pondered it, he watched Minho tuck his head sleepily against his arms on the tabletop. The back of his hair was sticking up at a strange angle and Jonghyun's hand itched to reach out and smooth it down.

But instead he picked up his computer to deposit it in his room and left for work without a word. Minho seemed to be still dozing on the kitchen table and Jonghyun hadn't wanted to disturb him. He was surprised the younger man had woken up as early as he had as Jonghyun had oftentimes seen him sleeping in until well past noon on the weekends. He figured Minho slept that late everyday so seeing him shuffle into the kitchen before Jonghyun had even left had been an unprecedented occasion.

Jonghyun thought that Minho just slept a lot - maybe it was a dog thing.

_Roo used to sleep damn near 20 hours a day_ , Jonghyun thought wistfully.

The sun was still hot on his back as he pedaled back home after work. The temperature had been climbing steadily in the last few weeks (after their sudden and uncalled for bouts of rain) and even as the day wore on and the sun began to sink it was incredibly and uncomfortably hot. Jonghyun pulled at the collar of his shirt, thankful as a light breeze whispered past; the ride home, though short, was unmerciful in that no part of his path was blocked by any shade. In the summer heat, even the eight minutes that it took him to bike back to his apartment left Jonghyun feeling sweaty and exhausted.

He opened the door when he arrived, leaning heavily against the frame as he toed off his shoes. The heat had zapped all his energy and all Jonghyun wanted to do was collapse in front of a fan and not move for a couple hours or maybe douse himself in ice water. But he had dinner to make first and, with how stuffy the apartment felt, tonight felt like a sandwich kind of night. He nodded at Minho, on the couch as always, as he passed him on his way to the kitchen and took a moment to hold his head in the freezer.

"Ah..." He sighed happily. That was how Minho found him several minutes later when he walked in. Minho cleared his throat questioningly and Jonghyun regretfully closed the freezer door, straightening his shoulders and opening the refrigerator instead.

"Sandwiches tonight," Jonghyun said, pretending he hadn't just been caught by the other man doing something a little weird. _Understandable_ , he thought. _But weird_. He started pulling the things he needed out of the fridge and set them on the table.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught Minho's nod and Minho stood there silently before Jonghyun invited him to sit down. He was being strangely silent - even more so than usual - and it was a little unnerving. All Minho had done since Jonghyun had gotten back was stare at him and Jonghyun felt antsy, shifting restlessly as he tried to avoid Minho's eyes. He had no idea what was going on but he tried to ignore it, taking a bite of his sandwich to avoid having to say something. That seemed to break Minho out of it, the younger man finally looking down at the table to start assembling his dinner.

Dinner was an awkward, weighty sort of experience made more difficult because of Minho's silence and the oppressive heat circulating the room. Minho was still finishing his food as Jonghyun cleared the table, humming to fill up the weird atmosphere. He could feel Minho's eyes on his back again and he stiffly pushed everything back in the refrigerator to try to shake the feeling off. He was used to Minho's presence being around by now - but not when it was like this. Jonghyun was about to head out to his room when Minho called out to him softly.

"Jonghyun."

His voice was serious and Jonghyun heard a touch of worry underneath. With a deep breath, he turned to face Minho, an unconvincingly casual smile on his face.

"What's up?"

"We need to talk."

Minho's face was solemn as Jonghyun took a seat across from him at the table. It took a minute before Minho started, seeming to ready himself before he looked up and locked eyes with Jonghyun.

His voice wavered a little as he said, "Jonghyun, is there something wrong with me?"

Jonghyun started. He blinked rapidly, trying to get his head around the question. _What?_ His mind was racing - why would Minho say something like that?

"No?" he tried. He shook his head, trying to clear the confusion before he cleared his throat and stated more assuredly, "no. No, there's nothing wrong with you."

Minho's head dropped forward and Jonghyun sat a little straighter, concerned. "Why would you ask that?" When Minho didn't answer, Jonghyun lowered his voice, leaning forward towards the other man.

"Minho - Minho look at me."

He knew he was pleading a little but Minho was kind of scaring him. He'd seemed fine earlier so Jonghyun had no idea what prompted this behavior. Minho was usually happy, quiet - but happy. And as Minho looked up at him and Jonghyun caught sight of his large, scared eyes, the rest of the world receded, narrowed down to the tall, shaking man in front of him with a penchant for long naps.

"What's wrong?" He was hesitant to continue but if this was going anywhere then they'd both have to suck it up and be brave.

"Tell me what's going on."

And it was like Jonghyun had released a floodgate because the words came pouring out of Minho's mouth like water.

"I feel like I'm doing something wrong," Minho said in a rush. He raked a hand through his hair, fingers knotting up in the strands and leaving behind a disheveled, tangled mess. "We had a talk last week and you said that I have to meet you half way. And I'm trying! But I don't want to get in your way and you won't even talk to me."

Jonghyun opened his mouth to speak but Minho kept going, either unaware or uncaring. Minho's body was tense like he'd kept this in for a while.

"And then yesterday when I was a dog again it was like you were suddenly all buddy-buddy with me. You were joking with me and laughing and just - talking to me at all. And it was nice."

Minho’s face contorted and for a terrible second Jonghyun thought the other man was going to start crying. Instead, Minho turned his head, expression still twisted, and stared off to the side as he continued, "I was surprised when you started playing around and instead of being distant you seemed really comfortable with me around. But it wasn't because you were comfortable with me. You're only comfortable around 'Haengun'."

They both sat stock still. Jonghyun could see Minho's fists ball up against the edge of the table.

"I feel like you only like me as a dog," Minho said, voice barely above a strained whisper. "It hurts."

Jonghyun sat, a little stunned. He had never heard Minho say that much in one sitting and he was still trying to process everything. But as he took in the sight across the table of Minho's quivering mouth, he shook himself out of his daze.

"Hey," he said, reaching out. "It's not that I don't like you or anything. I just, I don't know I have a lot of questions and I don't want to be an asshole and bombard you with them all the time."

"I want you to ask me questions, I want you to talk to me," Minho said quietly. He still wasn't looking at Jonghyun and it upset the older man a little. It was like Minho didn't trust him.

_I guess he has reason not to, though..._

"We're not exactly close friends, so I don't know how to talk to you." Minho wrung his hands anxiously. "You saved my life. Everything I have right now is because of you,"

"My clothes," _my clothes_ , Jonghyun thought. "A place to sleep, food -" Minho gestured wildly, looking around the kitchen.

"Everything here is yours. And you let me have it, no questions asked..." He hung his head, looking worn out. "I don't want to bother you all the time."

Jonghyun let out a loud, relieved laugh. A startled Minho looked up and Jonghyun caught his eye, grin wide. All of this was very ironic.

"Bother me," Jonghyun said, happily. "It's not like work tires me out all that much. Hell, if anything _I_ was the one who didn't want to bother you too much. I don't know what it's like to feel what you feel or what it's like to have to become a dog just to get a half-way decent meal,"

"I have so many questions I want to ask you but I didn't know if you'd be up for it. Let me help you out here. You want to be friends, I want to be friends - we can make this work. It just sounds like we both need to stop being so careful around each other."

He stood up from his chair and walked around to the other side of the table. As he thrust out a hand to Minho, the other man stared up at him. Jonghyun couldn't read the look on his face but he didn't think it was a bad thing. He grasped Jonghyun's hand and stood up easily as Jonghyun tugged at him. Minho towered over him but, unlike the first time Jonghyun had been acquainted with Minho's height, it seemed like a comfort now.

"Besides, if I only liked you as a dog would, I have offered to let you stay here as a human?" Jonghyun joked.

Minho's smile was a little watery but it was a smile all the same.

-

"Your fur was shorter last time you were a dog," Jonghyun said some hours later. "Shorter than it was before."

They were both on the couch reading and with their fresh decision to keep an open line of communication, Jonghyun could only hold his tongue for so long. He'd been itching to mention it the night before but, with Minho having been a dog and all, he probably wouldn't have been able to get a proper answer. He had so many questions burning at the back of his throat but, with no idea where to start, it seemed like as good a question as any.

Minho looked up from his book, surprised. "Oh. Uh, yeah. My fur is essentially my hair in dog form so..."

"So when you got your hair cut, your fur got cut at the same time?"

"Basically."

Jonghyun set his book down on the arm of the couch, his face scrunched up in confusion. "So, how does that work then?"

Minho shrugged. "No idea, really. I don't know the ‘science’ behind any of it."

Jonghyun blinked at him, a noise of acknowledgement rising from his throat; he thought circles around the idea and then catalogued the information in his head. It was a few more minutes before another question bubbled up his throat and made its way past his lips.

"What's it like as a dog?" He couldn't keep the excitement from his voice and he suspected that he was probably bouncing up and down a little. But really, how often did you get to ask these kinds of questions to an actual, real life shapeshifter?

"Not that different?" Minho lips pursed a little in thought. "Things are a little more...instinctual though."

"What do you mean?"

Minho thought for a moment. "You don't really have to think about what's socially acceptable as a dog. You're a dog so you can just do whatever you want."

"Like if you want your tummy rubbed?" Jonghyun asked with a wicked grin.

"Shut up," Minho said with no real malice to it. He buried his face back in his book but Jonghyun could see that the tips of his ears were burning.

As Minho had turned back to his book - or at least pretended to - Jonghyun drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch. Minho was receiving his questions really well and Jonghyun decided he wanted to push his luck a little more.

"Oh -  so you said before that sometimes you just get restless and have a bunch of energy, right?"

Minho nodded slowly. "Yeah...?"

"Well what if you could burn off that energy? We could go running or something." Jonghyun felt like he was bouncing again.

A slow, disarming smile spread across Minho's face. Jonghyun was momentarily dazzled. "That sounds fun."

"You up for it?" Jonghyun fist pumped the air. "Alright!"

"I might run as a dog sometimes, though," Minho said.

"Bring it on~" Jonghyun singsonged. He could use the challenge every once in a while.

Jonghyun was brushing his teeth some time later when a thought occurred to him.

"Hey," he called out in the direction of the living room. "Do you wanna get some new clothes this weekend?"

There was no reply for a few moments and Jonghyun was about to call out again when he saw a head poke around the door frame.

"Get clothes...for me?"

"Yeah. Why? You wanna keep wearing mine?" Jonghyun asked around a mouthful of toothpaste.

He thought he caught Minho's face coloring in the reflection of the mirror but when he turned to face the other man, Minho had an easy smile on his face.

"Thank you, Jonghyun."

"No problem," Jonghyun clapped a hand on his shoulder as he left the bathroom. "My paycheck comes in this week."

So that Saturday Jonghyun dragged Minho out shopping and spent the day reassuring the other man that "it's fine, really, just pick out whatever you want". For someone who hadn't had more than a couple of bucks to spend on a cheap replacement of clothes every few months, Minho had pretty impeccable fashion sense. Well - it wasn't Jonghyun's style but he certainly looked good in his dark wash jeans and blazers, his handsome face and long neck highlighted by the low cut shirts. Everything was simple (if not a bit plain) but he looked classy and well put together and Jonghyun had to curiously drag his eyes away whenever they lingered too long.

He wasn't the only one staring though.

Minho was kind of hard to miss: tall, long-legged, and an unassuming brand of handsome. He was a grade-A Korean prince walking through the mall and Jonghyun didn't know how he could be oblivious to the way that heads turned to follow his slow, steady stride. It wasn't something he'd noticed when Minho first appeared in his life - of course, how attractive the stranger suddenly appearing in his house was wasn't exactly anywhere near the top of his list of priorities at the time. And with the awkward, slightly tense air that had hung around them until only recently, Jonghyun had been more concerned with getting things in his life back into some semblance of normal.

With everything more or less back in order (a new kind of order, at any rate) Jonghyun had started... _noticing_ Minho more often. He started to see the things he'd missing before; namely, he saw that his unexpected roommate wasn't just an all-around good guy, he was also probably the most handsome man Jonghyun had ever met. It was almost like when Minho had first started living there except now instead of just being aware of the other man, Jonghyun was _aware_ of him. He felt his eyes being drawn to the line of Minho's shoulders or the curve of back, tracing the length of Minho's long neck when the other man was washing dishes.

At the times when Minho easily overtook him during running, Jonghyun averted his eyes from the sweat-damp ends of Minho's hair and the shifting muscles in his legs. Minho often ran with him as a dog to expend some of his extra energy but as the summer days grew hotter, it sometimes became easier for him to run as a human. It wasn't commonplace - Minho seemed to be an extremely shy person with regard to his body - but one day he'd even taken his shirt off after their run in order to cool off.

Now, Jonghyun had been used to seeing Minho all kinds of ways when they were in the apartment together: he'd seen Minho's frankly atrocious bed hair, his wide eyed smile, his sweaty face, how he cleaned up. But, aside from the brief and half-forgotten time when Minho had lifted part of his shirt to show Jonghyun his scratches, Jonghyun had never seen Minho anything other than modestly covered. He didn't walk around shirtless, complaining about the heat like Jonghyun did, he didn't forgo pants at home for the comfort of freedom like some of Jonghyun's roommates from college.

So when Minho pulled his shirt up over his head immediately after Jonghyun shut the door, Jonghyun was a little dazed. The back of Minho's hair, damp with sweat, was sticking up in odd angles and Jonghyun watched, mesmerized, as the muscles in Minho's back shifted when Minho reached up to push his hair out of his face. His cheeks were red, skin glowing warmly from heat and exertion and as he turned around to face the older man, Jonghyun's breath caught in his throat. Okay, more than a little dazed - Jonghyun was in danger of falling in it deep.

Minho wasn't as fit as Jonghyun but his body was lithe, powerful muscles dancing beneath the surface. Without the hindrance of sleeves, Jonghyun could see the slender muscles that worked beneath the skin and, trying not to let his eyes wander too far, Jonghyun's heart stuttered at the faint definition of muscle along Minho's stomach. He felt a flash of heat move through him, like he'd swallowed a match, and Minho's lips were moving but Jonghyun's eyes were on his collar bone.

"-hyun?"

"What?"

"I'm going to take a shower first, okay?" Minho asked. He was looking at Jonghyun in concern and Jonghyun was suddenly embarrassed. How long had Minho been calling his name?

Jonghyun nodded and Minho stepped forward to grasp at Jonghyun's shoulder briefly.

"Go drink some water," Minho said before he turned away. "You don't want to get dehydrated."

_You have no idea_. Jonghyun thought.

-

Jonghyun opened the front door, ideas for dinner running through his head. It had been too hot to cook anything much lately and, with the heat sweltering in the small apartment, he wasn't sure he wanted to stand in front of a burning stove if he could help it.

"Hey, Minho," Jonghyun called as he stepped inside. "What do you want to do for dinner?"

There was no answer.

Jonghyun's eyebrows drew together and he looked around the living room. Minho was not on the couch as he usually was. Calling out to him again, Jonghyun shifted to the side to peek into the kitchen, shoes already forgotten. He strained his ears, listening for running water, but the bathroom door was open and there was only silence. With a strange sense of déjà vu and some other kind of feeling rising in his stomach uncomfortably, Jonghyun walked quickly towards his room.

He could feel his breath coming faster and his hands were balled up in tight fists. _There's nothing to be worried about_ , he thought fiercely. _Minho's here somewhere. He is_. But Jonghyun's room was empty and so was the silent bathroom. Jonghyun’s mind flew into a panic, heart now thundering in his chest. _The door was locked_ , Jonghyun reasoned as he rushed back out to the kitchen. _It was locked so he has to be here_. His hands were shaking as he surveyed the kitchen and living room again and when his eyes fell on Minho's book, lying innocently on the couch where Minho should have been, something in him snapped.

He couldn't even think as he ran back into his room and began to tear the whole place apart. He ripped the blankets from his bed, practically tore the shower curtain in half as he frantically tugged it out of the way to peer into the shower. His room was in compete disarray but Jonghyun only had one thought running through his head in a drastic mantra: find Minho. He kept calling out Minho's name as he flipped over the dog bed and pushed aside the kitchen chairs. Jonghyun knew it was delirious - if Minho was somewhere in the apartment, he would know it - but as he threw the couch cushions across the room, he did everything he could to stave off the possibility that Minho had just decided to leave him. He'd been a wanderer before, he might have just -

_No, no, no, no!_

In one last desperate attempt, Jonghyun stumbled toward the door and wrenched it open to go search for the other man – only to come face to face with a surprised Minho. Minho's hand had been raised, like he'd been about to knock on the door, but Jonghyun hardly registered it before the cold panic gave way and anger set in. He started yelling.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you?"

Minho's eyes widened but Jonghyun's just narrowed.

"What about any of this seemed like a good idea? Did you just get bored and think -" He adopted a flighty, high pitched voice completely unlike Minho's. "'Oh! Jonghyun's gone right now. Why don't I just head out and be _gone by the time he gets back_ ’."

His voice had descended into a low growl by the end of the sentence and Minho's mouth was slowly dropping open.

"Where the hell did you go? I got back and you were gone, door locked and everything. What the hell made you think that was a good idea?"

Jonghyun's face was red and hot but he could feel tears prickling behind his eyes and, instead of crying, he kept going.

"Did you think I'd get back and it wouldn't scare the fuck out of me that there was no trace of you? No note, nothing. You fucking asshole!"

He punched Minho hard in the middle of his chest. Jonghyun wasn't even sure he had any strength behind it, as worn out as he was, but Minho winced. Before the taller man could do anything else, Jonghyun shot a hand out, grabbed the front of Minho's shirt, and jerked him forward. Minho stumbled into him and Jonghyun's pretty sure he smashed his nose against Minho's collar bone as he collapsed against him, but Minho's arms came up to steady him and hold him close.

It was dark outside, the light above Jonghyun's ( _and Minho's_ , his mind whispered) apartment the only thing illuminating the area around them. Jonghyun focused on the sound of cicadas around them, fingers bunched in the fabric at the sides of Minho's shirt as he struggled to breathe evenly. Minho's arms were strong around him and he just held him, quiet and confused, until Jonghyun's little hiccupping sobs became louder than the insistent buzzing. His hands were warm as they patted Jonghyun's back, his low voice soft and gentle as he murmured reassurances and slowly ushered Jonghyun back inside.

Jonghyun was dead weight against him, stumbling backward blindly with his face still pressed against Minho's chest, soaking his shirt with tears and warming it with ragged breath. When Minho finally got them inside and shut the door, he collapsed back against it with Jonghyun still in his arms.

Jonghyun wasn’t sure how long he stood there, trying to piece himself back together as Minho's voice rumbled quietly in his ear.

When he finally pulled back, his face was a mess of tears and snot, too warm in the muggy apartment. He pulled a face when he saw the state of Minho's shirt after he'd finished crying all over it and, embarrassed, wiped his face off roughly. Strong hands landed on his shoulders and he looked up into Minho's large eyes, eyes that were filled with worry and framed by a face set in unease. It grounded him a little before he realized that the man in front of him was the whole reason he was like that in the first place. His hand shot out weakly, lightly clipping Minho in the side before he wrapped his arms around Minho's neck and tugged him down for a hug. He held on fiercely for only a second and then released him, stepping back before Minho had a chance to reciprocate.

"Are you okay now?" Minho asked hesitantly.

Jonghyun turned away from him, still scrubbing at his face. "Where did you go?" He pretended his voice was devoid of the unsteady tremor coloring his words.

"I just went out to go look for a job."

He turned back sharply at that, fixing Minho with a hard stare. "Why?"

"So I could pay you back for everything." Minho's eyebrows knitted together.

"And you just thought you'd leave without telling me?" He knew he was acting irrationally, a little too over protective, but he couldn't help it. He'd been so scared. And instead of dissecting the reason, Jonghyun planted his hands on his hips and stared Minho down.

"I didn't think you'd -" Minho cut off, swallowing thickly. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

Unlike most other people Jonghyun knew, Minho apologized while looking him straight in the eye. Jonghyun ignored the burning in his stomach at that and held Minho's gaze.

"Don't you ever do that again," he said gruffly.

Jonghyun turned in finality to go wash his face, shoulders hunched uncomfortably. He was still tense and angry and he really didn't even want to think about dinner anymore, Minho could just deal on his own. Then arms were encircling him and he was pulled again a firm chest, Minho's head resting on his shoulder. And all at once, whatever energy he'd had to fight was gone In place of the anger and fright was a sluggish feeling of exhaustion and Jonghyun could barely muster up the will to move away.

So he didn't.

He stood there, head dropped forward as Minho breathed evenly behind him. Minho's arms were strong around his waist, hands settled comfortably - _intimately_ \- just above Jonghyun's belt, and Jonghyun stared at them, tracing the veins with his eye. His fingers itched. He wanted to - well, he didn't know what he wanted to do but he tried to tamp down on the feeling. Minho's breath puffed softly against the back of his ear and Jonghyun fought back a shiver. Instead, he brought his arms up to cover Minho's and, hesitantly, leaned back against the taller man. Minho's arms tightened around him just a fraction more.

"I won't do it again," Minho whispered.

Minho’s voice was like a wave crashing in Jonghyun's ear and it made Jonghyun want to shake down to his bones.

His voice came out as barely more than whoosh of air, "okay."

It was unspoken between them but it was clear that something had changed. They were both quiet, Jonghyun ordering food for the both of them and Minho tidying up the kitchen. Jonghyun's cheeks burned; he could see the shock on Minho's face when he got the chance to really look around the apartment and see the destruction that Jonghyun had caused. It made a thick feeling of shame and embarrassment slither up through his stomach and he avoided Minho's eyes as he went to go clean up his room. Minho followed him in and though he kept his eyes to himself, Jonghyun felt as if he could feel the weight of them on his back the entire time. It was quiet as they cleaned, as they ate, as they got ready for bed. And then, just before Jonghyun shut his door, Minho came wandering in, paws padding lightly across the carpet.

Jonghyun sighed and watched him nudge his bed closer, circling around inside before he settled down. Minho had been quiet all night, even more so than usual, and now even his ears and tail looked as if they were sad. He knew Minho felt bad, knew that it wasn't fair to push all the blame onto him. But Jonghyun didn't want to own up to his feelings and accept how scared it had made him that Minho could leave - that he'd leave him - and Jonghyun wouldn't be able to do anything about it. So instead of apologizing he was pretending, badly, that the whole thing hadn't happened.

Of course, he hadn't missed the way that Minho had hardly been more than five feet away from him since he'd come back, that he would move anxiously toward Jonghyun when the other man went anywhere. Maybe this was a wakeup call for Jonghyun. _That's something I'll deal with in the morning_ , he decided. And with one last look at Minho curled miserably in his dog bed, Jonghyun patted his mattress and laid down. After a moment's hesitation, Minho jumped on the bed and carefully made a spot for himself. Jonghyun wanted none of that. Taking a deep breath, he turned over and wrapped his arms around Minho, burying his face in the dark fur. Minho gave a small lick to the back of his hand in reassurance and Jonghyun fell asleep, a silent promise on his mind not to let Minho go.

He didn't realize until the next morning that Minho had stayed by his side all night.

-

"It is like stupid hot right now," Jonghyun complained as he flopped on the couch next to Minho. The apartment was sweltering and Minho had stolen the singular portable fan for himself and planted it on the table in front of him. Every time Jonghyun had made a move to take the fan for himself, Minho had started growling at him, low in his throat. Though it had been amusing the first few times, now it was just too hot for him to keep playing and Jonghyun had given in, collapsing sticky and sweaty on the couch next to Minho who was in a similar state, albeit a bit cooler.

They were both stripped down to the (respectable) bare minimum even though Jonghyun had whined and argued for nearly ten minutes that being naked wasn't a big deal (he may or may not be a bit of an exhibitionist, so sue him). But Minho had steadfastly held his ground and Jonghyun was miserably reduced to only a thin beater and a pair of boxers and not a thing less. It had been hot all summer, as the weather was wont to do during this time of year, but aside from the hellish week some time after Minho had started living with him, the temperature had stayed at a dull, exhausting heat instead of a fiery inferno. Now, Jonghyun was almost wishing for the bizarre rain showers they'd had when he'd first found Minho.

Laying back against the couch - and instantly regretting it once he realized he'd have to peel himself away from the fabric later - Jonghyun lazily surveyed the room. His small apartment had gotten a lot more cluttered in the recent weeks but he couldn't say he minded it. It wasn't messy per say, but it looked more homey than it had before a certain someone had arrived in his life and it made a heat, pleasant for once, rise somewhere in his chest. Minho's shoes were scattered among Jonghyun's at the door, a small pile of the books he'd been reading stacked up on the coffee table next to the fan. Most of his things were set neatly on the small standing shelf tucked away in the corner and Jonghyun knew that, in the bathroom, Minho's toothbrush was set next to his in the cup on the sink.

It was strange to think that Minho had begun living in Jonghyun's apartment with nothing but the clothes on his back and now his things were scattered amongst Jonghyun's all throughout the apartment. They weren't just two people that happened to be existing in the same space anymore - now they were cohabitating peacefully and, more importantly, happily. It was a bit of a shock to Jonghyun, honestly. It was as if Minho's things were growing little by little every day, merging with Jonghyun's and cementing Minho's place in his life.

_If Minho were a tree_ , Jonghyun thought, _his roots would already stretch way too deep_. But as he looked over at the other man, who was sprawled across the couch with his eyes closed and his head tipped back, he couldn't say that he minded much.

Over the next week, to Jonghyun's great displeasure, the heat wave persisted and it seemed that Minho, holed up in the small, hot apartment all day, was getting desperate. Jonghyun came back from work one day, the record breaking high temperature leaving him disgruntled and drenched in sweat. The shelter had been quite cool so when he'd stepped back outside to make his way home, the waves of heat the crashed into him almost made him feel dizzy. Inside the apartment wasn't much better (in fact it may have been worse) but he had a frozen water bottle in the freezer and a fan so it was better than nothing.

After he shut the door, he registered the sound of running water. Confirming that Minho wasn't in the kitchen or living room with a quick glance, Jonghyun walked down the hall and saw the bathroom door left wide open. As he rounded the corner to walk in, he saw Minho, shirtless and kneeling over the side of the tub with his head under the faucet. The muscles in his back were stretched taught as he braced his forearms on the edge of the bathtub, head craned to reach the flow of water. Jonghyun felt his mouth go a little dry at the muscles tensed in Minho's thighs, watching the way they stood prominent as Minho shifted his weight on his knees.

Jonghyun shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts because now was really not the time. Minho still hadn't noticed him, the other man's eyes closed as he let the water run over the back of his head. And out of nowhere, Jonghyun was struck with a feeling of guilt that Minho was stuck in the apartment alone all day with nothing to do, waiting for Jonghyun to get back as the heat steadily built throughout the course of the day. He'd have to see if they could work out something for Minho to do...

But then the spell was broken as Minho turned his head, eyes still closed, and let the water run into his mouth. Jonghyun was reminded of a dog lapping at a garden hose and he brought a hand up to his mouth to muffle his laughter. At Jonghyun's snort, Minho's head came flying up, nearly clipping the metal spout and he fixed Jonghyun with a wide eyed stare. He looked like a child that had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. _Or a dog that got caught digging up the flowers_ , Jonghyun thought with a grin. When Minho caught Jonghyun's teasing, amused expression, he ducked his head back underneath the water.

"It was hot," he mumbled, voice muffled by the spray of water.

Then, as Minho crouched even further into the tub, a stream of water ran down the back of his head to pool in the dip between his shoulders. Jonghyun watched the small puddle fill in the valley of his back before it overfilled and tipped down his side in a thin stream. Minho shut off the water and shook his head - _like a dog_ , Jonghyun thought impulsively - spraying a thin mist of water around the bathroom. Grabbing a towel, he dried his hair off roughly, wrapping it around his shoulders as he started to make his way past Jonghyun. He still wasn't wearing a shirt.

Once he'd left, Jonghyun made a split second decision and ripped his shirt off. He stuck his head under the faucet and turned it on, cool water rushing over his burning skin. It was too hot for all this.

-

"Jinki asked about you the other day, you know."

Minho's eyebrows shot up. "What? How could he have?"

Jonghyun made a little noise and then looked away from the television. "Oh - I mean he asked about Haengun."

He threw his arms over the back of the couch and turned back to the television. "He just asked how you were doing and all that. But hey, you were looking for a job right?"

"Yeah," Minho sighed. "But they all need personal information that I kind of...don't really have."

Jonghyun was nodding. "Well, what if you just volunteered at the shelter?"

"But I wouldn't be making any m- "

"You wouldn't be making any money, _but_ ," Jonghyun grinned. "you'd be helping me out loads. You wanted something to do during the day, didn't you?"

Minho smiled. "I did. But are you sure it's okay?"

"I just offered it didn't I?"

"I guess so..." He looked bashful and Jonghyun sort of wanted to pinch his cheeks.

"No, seriously, it'd make my job so much easier. And who knows," Jonghyun wrapped an arm around Minho's shoulders and leaned in conspiratorially. "Maybe Jinki would even give me a raise." He waggled his eyebrows and Minho laughed.

"Okay, okay. It sounds fun actually."

"Yeah, you'll like it there."

Minho went into work with Jonghyun the next day and Jinki took an immediate liking to him. He'd been introduced as Jonghyun's roommate (pretty much true) and a friend of a friend from college (a complete lie), but Jinki had smiled at him, eyes crinkling merrily, and Minho was set to work as a kennel worker. Jonghyun had credited him as a jack of all trades and he really hadn't been lying when he'd said it would make his job easier, both his and Jinki's. They had a lot of animals to take care of and with only the two of them running the front, it made the work in the back a lot more hectic.

"We're always looking for another pair of hands," Jinki had said as he showed Minho around the stocking area. He'd nearly tripped over a box of water bowls and Minho's hands had shot out to help him but Jinki had carried on like nothing had happened.

The next two weeks passed by in a blur of fur and long hours of work. Jonghyun enjoyed working at the shelter and he could tell from the bright shine in Minho's eyes that he did too. They both seemed like dog-people and though Minho worked well with their cats too, Jonghyun took great pleasure in seeing Minho with the dogs. In hindsight, their easy relationship with each other made a lot of sense if Jonghyun thought about it.

But working there had some drawbacks for Minho, and Jonghyun started to see the results of it a few weeks later. Minho had begun pacing again, wandering about the apartment or nearly begging Jonghyun to go out on runs with him on the weekends. With work, Minho didn't have as many opportunities or as much time to stay in dog-form as he had before and it was starting to build up in him, a restless energy that he could hardly contain. And Jonghyun could see it.

"Why don't you just turn into a dog whenever we get back?" Jonghyun asked as Minho wandered past his room for the fifth time.

"It's tiring to turn for only a short period of time. Makes it worse," Minho replied absently.

"Well, what if we cut back your hours at the shelter?" Jonghyun called out down the hallway as Minho wandered off again.

There was the sound of feet padding against the carpet and Minho poked his head back around the doorframe.

"Won't that make it harder on you guys?"

"Maybe, but you're just volunteering so it's not like you have to be there as often as I'm there." Jonghyun shrugged. "Just tell Jinki you need every Friday off or something. You can take the time to laze around as a dog here or something."

"I'd feel bad if I did that," Minho said, eyebrows drawing together.

"You could come with me, I guess?" Jonghyun said and then snapped his fingers. He sat up straighter, suddenly excited.

"Yeah! You could ask for some days off or whatever and you could come in with me as 'Haengun'!"

But the same troubled look stayed on Minho's face. "What if...what if Jinki makes the connection?"

Jonghyun waved a hand at him dismissively. "You can say you have to go out of town or whatever and when I bring 'Haengun' in," Jonghyun made little air quotes. "I can just say he doesn't like to be on his own whenever we're both gone."

Minho's face had brightened a little and Jonghyun fought down a feeling of pride. "If you want to change now, I'll just tell Jinki tomorrow that you caught a cold or something and couldn't come in."

"Thanks Jonghyun," Minho said and Jonghyun's heart fluttered because it was like Minho had breathed out Jonghyun's name in reverence and, oh god, he wanted to hear that again.

"No problem," he replied, trying not to sound dazed.

Minho smiled at him and turned to walk back down the hall.

"Wait - where are you going?"

"To go turn?"

Jonghyun's heart sped up. _It's doing all sorts of weird things today_ , he thought distantly.

"I want to see you change," Jonghyun said. At that, Minho looked like he'd just been punched in the stomach and Jonghyun backtracked, brain finally catching up with his mouth. "I mean, if it's okay with you, that is."

"I just - I didn't think you'd want to see something like that..."

"Who wouldn't?"

Minho shrugged. "I dunno," he mumbled. "I thought it might weird you out or something." For that reason, Minho looked slightly ashamed and it hurt Jonghyun.

"Man, my best friend is a shapeshifting dog-person and you think _this_ is going to weird me out?"

Minho's eyes grew wide. "I'm - ?"

"Yeah," Jonghyun shoved him a little, playfully. "So get to it, dog breath."

Minho just grinned at him. And then he changed.

It happened really fast, almost too fast for Jonghyun to catch it. It was like one second Minho was there and the next there was a dog. There weren't any flashes of light or explosions of smoke, it was just Minho and then a dog - a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of thing.

"You never told me it was this fast," Jonghyun whispered, in awe, as he kneeled down next to Minho.

 He knew Minho could turn into a dog, he'd seen him as a dog with his own eyes. But even though he'd accepted it and he'd lived with that knowledge for the past two months, it was still a shock to his system to see it happen in action. Maybe some part of him had stayed skeptical, even in the face of all the hope and evidence. They were only supposed to be myths after all.

 Jonghyun pet Minho's fur almost tenderly, still in a slight state of shock. Minho's ears were pressed down on his head, his tail limp, but as Jonghyun scratched his neck lightly, Minho's tongue came lolling out. Soon, they were both back to normal and Minho was chewing playfully on the hem of Jonghyun's shirt as Jonghyun improvised a song on his guitar.

In the morning, Minho trotted alongside Jonghyun, tail wagging happily as they made their way to work. Once there, Jonghyun explained the situation about Minho being "sick" and Jinki happily welcomed "Haengun" at the front of the shelter. For the most part, Jonghyun went about his normal day and Minho kept out of the way behind the front desk. At one point, Jonghyun found him curled up in a spare dog bed with Taemin resting against his side.

_Huh_ , he thought. _So the little devil does have a soft side_.

That weekend was pretty par for the course with Minho as a dog; they went out for a run on Saturday morning before the heat could really set in. They stopped at a gas station so Jonghyun could get a bottle of water before they headed home because, in a slightly euphoric state, Minho had been all too happy to run farther and faster than usual. Jonghyun stooped next to Minho and cupped a hand to pour water into so that Minho could drink. He drank greedily, tongue scraping against Jonghyun's hand to get as much as he could, nudging his nose against Jonghyun's calve before they started back.

Minho turned back Sunday night after dinner, no longer bothering to run to the bathroom so that Jonghyun wouldn't see. He hid his face almost immediately after becoming a human, so quickly that it startled Jonghyun. Minho was standing in the middle of the living room, body tense and tight as if he were trying to make himself small, compact.

Jonghyun, watching from the couch, tipped his head to the side and stared at Minho's red ears.

"...you okay?" He finally asked.

Minho, face buried in his hands, shook his whole upper body back and forth rapidly. Jonghyun thought he was doing some sort of weird dance before he realized Minho was telling him "no".

He blanched, "wait, why, what's wrong?" He shot out rapid fire.

 Minho's voice was muffled by his hands but Jonghyun made out, "no one but granny’s ever seen me turn before."

Jonghyun was completely baffled. _Why would that bother him?_

"But it was cool," he protested and Minho shook his whole body again in disagreement.

Jonghyun stood up and walked over to him, pulling Minho's hands away from his face and staring him in the eye. Minho's eyes were wide and his cheeks were a vibrant shade of pink.

"It was cool," he said firmly.

Minho's face quickly darkened to a startling shade of red and his hands twitched in Jonghyun's hold. Jonghyun just laughed and reached up to mess up Minho's hair.

-

A week after Jonghyun had first seen Minho transform, Minho made a comment that caught Jonghyun off guard.

"You want to what?"

"Get another cake from that place. You know, the kind you got me after you found me."

"...That was for dogs," Jonghyun said gently, as if Minho himself hasn't been the one to eat it.

"Yeah," Minho said, looking at Jonghyun like he'd just said something stupid. "I'd be a dog when I eat it, so...?"

Jonghyun frowned. "Isn't that kind of...gross?"

"No? You got a really good one. It tastes just like regular food." He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "dry dog food is really gross though."

Jonghyun choked as Minho's eyes twinkled mischievously.

They decided to go pick up one of the cakes on the way back from a run. Minho bounded alongside Jonghyun happily with his tail swishing high in the air as they made their way to the shop.

"Oh god, you smell disgusting," was the greeting from Kibum when Jonghyun walked up to the counter. He had his nose wrinkled as he said it, shooing Jonghyun back from the counter with a wave of his hand. Minho barked (probably agreeing with him, the traitor) and two little heads popped up from behind the counter at that. Upon seeing Kibum's dogs, Minho stood up on his hind legs, nose poking over the top of the counter curiously. Jonghyun shook his sweaty bangs off his face, purposefully making a show of it as Kibum looked more and more like he was going to throw something at Jonghyun's head.

"So what is so urgent for you to get that you decided to come in smelling so foul?" Kibum asked with a distasteful look on his face. Jonghyun leaned against the counter casually and grinned when Kibum moved backward.

"Thought I should get him another cake," Jonghyun said, motioning to Minho who was still sniffing the tiny dogs. "He seemed to like the last one a lot."

Kibum hummed and moved behind the display case. "Have you decided which one you want?"

Jonghyun stooped to study the treats, his face full of concentration. He'd just picked at random last time but now he couldn't even remember what he'd gotten. Minho finally abandoned his post in front of the other dogs and sat next to Jonghyun, staring at the case for a second before his pressed his nose against the glass and yipped. Kibum blinked, clearly surprised, but Jonghyun pointed at the cake.

"I'll take that one, please."

"He's a smart one, isn't he?" Kibum asked as he packaged the treat.

Jonghyun reached a hand down and scratched Minho's ear. "Yeah, he is."

As Kibum was putting the great box in a bag, Jonghyun remarked, "these things look really good and all, but they're probably disgusting."

And Kibum launched into what must have been a company-planned speech because he began describing the specifics of how the cakes were made, leaving Jonghyun gob smacked.  Significantly less disgusting sounding once Kibum explained that they were all made from dog-safe, human ingredients, Jonghyun picked up the bag, thanked Kibum, and made his way from the store with Minho in tow.

The next week, Minho said that he felt okay to stay a human on Friday but Jonghyun flapped a hand at him and told him to take the day off.

"With this whole energy thing you got going on, it's gotta be tiring. Me and Jinki will be fine for one day."

Minho tried to protest but Jonghyun had sat him down on the couch and turned on the television with a pointed look. He crossed his arms and stared at Minho until the other boy relaxed back against the cushions and that was that. Luckily, it was a particularly slow day, especially with the peculiar dark clouds gathering hour by hour, and they didn't need any extra help.

As the day neared its end, Jinki turned to Jonghyun.

"Why don't you take off early today? It looks like it's going to rain and I don't want you to get caught in it."

"Are you sure?" Jonghyun asked.

"Oh no, please stay. I don't think I can handle this rush by myself," Jinki deadpanned and for a moment Jonghyun thought he was serious before Jinki's expression broke.

"You deserve a break. Go off, have fun. I'll take it from here."

"You're a good man, Jinki," Jonghyun said as he patted him on the back.

Jonghyun was on his way back home when he heard someone shout his name. Stopping his bike, he looked around and spotted two familiar faces.

"Joonmyun, Amber!"

"Hey Jonghyun," Joonmyun said with a smile. "Long time no see."

"No kidding," Jonghyun said as he gave them both hugs.

After he'd graduated, Jonghyun had sort of ended up losing touch with his friends. He'd thrown himself right into work and with everyone moving off to do their own thing, he'd just gotten used to keeping himself company.

They stood around chatting for a few minutes before Amber said, "why don't we all go catch up, have a drink or something?"

Wanting to take possibly the only chance he'd have to talk with his friends, Jonghyun agreed. He thought about letting Minho know but then realized that Minho didn't even have a phone that he could call.

_Well, that's okay. I won't be out for long_ , he thought.

They were seated around a table and Amber was in the middle of telling Jonghyun about the research she'd been doing when Joonmyun waved someone over and Baekhyun walked up to them.

"How are you doing, man?" He asked, giving Jonghyun a wide smile.

And, with getting home completely slipping his mind, Jonghyun completely lost himself to the conversation with his old friends. His phone vibrated with a text at one point, but with Baekhyun's loud voice and Joonmyun's and Amber's enthusiasm, Jonghyun forgot it only seconds after it happened. Hours later, he left his friends with a wave and a promise to keep in contact this time, and began home without checking his phone.

He stepped outside, the sky dark and quiet now. The streets glistened underneath the street lamps and Jonghyun walked his bike, basking in a moment of peace.

_It must have finally rained earlier_ , he thought as he stared around at the small puddles littering the sidewalk.

His walk back was filled with the sound of cicadas and the distant rumbling of thunder. It had gotten a lot cooler since the sun had gone down and a light breeze had picked up. He lugged his bike up the short flight of stairs and paused when he saw a figure huddled in front of his door. His blood ran cold for a moment, scenarios flashing through his head quickly before the person on the ground lifted their head from their arms. Minho stared back at him, large eyes filled with something that made sadness well up inside Jonghyun.

Jonghyun gave a bashful smile as he walked up to Minho but his bike clattered to the ground as he got a better look at him. The sound was jarring but Jonghyun barely noticed it as he took in Minho's wet clothes and dripping hair. And suddenly it occurred to him that Minho should not have been sitting here at all, he should have been inside, dry and lazing on the couch, not shivering on the ground outside.

"Minho?" He said softly. Minho stood up, eyes still trained on Jonghyun. He stepped forward, arms lifting slightly, but he hesitated, looking unsure, before wrapping them around Jonghyun and burying his face in Jonghyun's neck. Minho was cold, his clothes damp and freezing, his breath a sharp contrast as it hit Jonghyun's skin warmly. Minho was shivering more, his body quaking against Jonghyun's and Jonghyun tried to hold back the panic, arms wrapping around Minho and pulling him close.

"Minho? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Minho nodded against his neck, silent.

"Come on, let's - let's get you inside."

Minho let go just enough that Jonghyun could turn the door handle. It was locked. His eyebrows furrowed as he fished out his keys. Minho had been just outside the door, there was no reason it should have been locked. He brought Minho inside, deciding to pick up his bike later, and once the door was closed he took Minho by the shoulders and gently pushed him back so that he could look at him.

"Why are you all wet?" He had so many questions but this was at least a place to start.

Minho was staring at the floor. "It was raining."

"That doesn't explain how you got wet," Jonghyun said with a frown.

"I was outside when it was raining."

He was speaking lowly, his voice almost impossibly deep. Jonghyun shook his head, trying to concentrate.

"Why were you outside? Why was the door locked?" His breath hitched. "Minho - what happened?"

Minho was silent for a long moment, and then, "where did you go?"

Jonghyun jerked, hands falling from Minho's shoulders. "I - what?"

"Where did you go?" Minho repeated, and he lifted his head to finally lock eyes with Jonghyun. His face was set in an expression of betrayal and Jonghyun's heart caught, beat weakly inside his chest.

"I got off work early and then ran into some friends on my way back. We went out for a while." Jonghyun's face screwed up in confusion. "I meant to tell you but I didn't think I'd be gone that long - why were you outside?"

"Did Jinki call you?" Minho asked, ignoring Jonghyun's question.

Jonghyun started to say no but then vaguely remembered his phone vibrating some time ago. He pulled it out and saw a missed message from Jinki.

_Hey Jonghyun, Minho just stopped by and he was looking for you. He said you hadn't come back yet and he looked really worried. Let him know where you are maybe?_

Jonghyun stared down at the message with an uneasy feeling burning in the pit of his stomach. When he met Minho's eyes, the emotion, the fear behind them made Jonghyun want to cower.

"Were you looking for me?" Jonghyun asked, voice barely above a whisper. He didn't know what answer he wanted to hear.

Minho closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded. His hands were shaking and he looked even more broken than the miserable, injured dog Jonghyun had first picked up.

"I'm sorry," Jonghyun rasped out.

Minho stepped forward, nearly knocking into Jonghyun, and towered over him. Jonghyun was reminded of how much taller than him the other man was and something different burned inside him. Minho raised a hand, a cool palm cupping one of Jonghyun's burning checks and he was so close. For a moment, Jonghyun thought Minho was going to kiss him.

"Don't you ever do that again," Minho said, and Jonghyun froze as his words to Minho were thrown right back at him.

"I won't, oh god I won't," Jonghyun said as he broke eye contact. Minho's eyes were too intense and Jonghyun felt like he was going to catch on fire.

"I thought you got hurt. I thought you just left me." Minho's hand slipped down to the back of Jonghyun's neck, anchoring Jonghyun to him. "Damn it, Jonghyun, I didn't know where you were!"

_He never curses_ , Jonghyun thought, alarmed.

The panic in Minho's voice made Jonghyun look up again and he saw Minho's set mouth trembling, the fingers on the back on his neck flexing nervously. Minho was so close to him, every part of him in Jonghyun's space, and he was so warm and focused so completely on Jonghyun. He felt that fire race thought his veins again and then he was tugging Minho down, lips crashing against the other man's.

Minho inhaled sharply through his nose and Jonghyun had the sense of mind to realize what he just did. He pulled back just enough to give Minho a choice, but Minho followed him, mouth not leaving Jonghyun's. Thoughts racing so fast they fizzled out, Jonghyun grasped at the front of Minho's shirt, hands fisted tightly in the material, and he leaned into the other man when Minho pulled him in, encircling Jonghyun in his arms.

What started out frantic turned soft and slow, Jonghyun's thumbs rubbing circles into Minho's lower back as he nipped lightly at Minho's lips. And he pulled back slightly, forehead against Minho's and breathed. When Jonghyun looked up at him, Minho's eyes were closed but he looked so much more at peace. Jonghyun couldn't resist, leaning back in to steal another kiss and was rewarded with Minho's smile against his lips.

"I won't leave you," Jonghyun whispered, arms pulling Minho tight against him.

"Good," Minho whispered back.

Then he nuzzled into Jonghyun's neck, peppering kisses along Jonghyun's collar bone. The hands that were at Jonghyun's side were skimming up and down lightly and Jonghyun tensed as Minho's fingers brushed over a sensitive area. It happened again and a strangled noise made its way past Jonghyun's lips. He could feel Minho grin against his neck and he had just enough time to think, _don't you dare_ , before Minho was tickling him mercilessly. Jonghyun's hands flew to Minho's shoulders and he shrieked as Minho's fingers ran all over his sides. Minho pulled Jonghyun against him, fitting Jonghyun into his arms snuggly as he laughed. It was a deep, rich laugh and it made Jonghyun's head go fuzzy. He wanted to hear that laugh all the time.

Minho murmured something against his hair and Jonghyun craned his head to look at him.

"Hm?"

"I said, 'I'm happy'," Minho said as he nosed his way down. His breath his Jonghyun's ear, voice vibrating warm and soft somewhere inside Jonghyun's ribcage. His lips landed on Jonghyun's cheek, only for a moment, and then he pulled back.

"I'm happy too," Jonghyun said. Happy didn't even begin to cover it, but as Minho leaned down to press another kiss to Jonghyun's forehead, Jonghyun figured Minho understood that.

He didn't need words to hold Minho's face in his hands and kiss the smile back onto his face. Minho seemed happier, more at ease than Jonghyun had seen him in quite some time and, with a contented kind of static buzzing in his head, Jonghyun realized that he hadn't felt this nice in a long time too. Minho had been an addition to his life that had shaken everything up but he just felt right in Jonghyun's arms. He wrapped his arms around Minho's neck and just stood against him, breathing, happy and safe. They both were, now.

And then, the energy to stand sapped out of them, they fell onto the couch in a heap, limbs falling over limbs, and tangled together. Jonghyun wrapped an arm around Minho's shoulder and Minho easily leaned into his side. It was a familiar position for them but after all that had happened, it was a comfort. _How long have we both overlooked this?_ Jonghyun wondered as Minho's hand snuck into his, fingers running lightly over Jonghyun's palm.

They fell asleep on the couch like that, Minho's head on Jonghyun's shoulder, hands linked and hearts light.

Needless to say, Jonghyun dragged Minho out to get a key and a cell phone the next morning. While it felt like nothing had really changed between them, Jonghyun knew that things would be different. Even better, he knew where they stood every time Minho's hand slipped into his or he hooked his chin over Jonghyun's shoulder. In hindsight, everything about them seemed to have fallen into place naturally along the way, so when Jonghyun realized that Minho's place in his home, in his life, had slowly become more defined over them, he wasn't surprised.

What _was_ a surprise was how comfortable everything was. Almost without him becoming aware of it, Minho had cemented his spot with Jonghyun. One night, as if it were commonplace, Jonghyun kept Minho's hand in his as he retired to bed for the night. Even more surprising was how Minho climbed into bed next to him. Amongst their whispered goodnights and feather-light kisses, Jonghyun felt a growing sense of how lucky he was.

Minho never slept on the couch again.

When they went into work the next Monday, Jonghyun took his place behind the front desk and Minho started refilling the animals' water dishes. Taemin hopped up on the desk, nipped harshly at Jonghyun's fingertip, and then settled on Jinki's lap.

Jonghyun watched Taemin's tail flick back and forth as Jinki pet him and asked, "are you ever going to take him home?"

Jinki looked up at him. "Taemin? No, I think I'll just keep him here."

"Looks more like your cat than the shelter's," Jonghyun said with a raised eyebrow.

"He's like our mascot now." He smiled and scratched the cat’s chin. "Besides, my apartment doesn't allow animals."

Jonghyun made a sound of understanding and looked at Jinki knowingly; despite Taemin's hobby of regularly injuring Jinki, the older man really loved that cat. It figured that there was some reason Jinki didn't just keep him as his own. His eyes caught the movement of Minho kneeling down and Jonghyun watched as he reaching through the door of one of the cages to let a puppy lick his finger.

"What about you?"

"Me?" Jonghyun asked with surprise.

"I haven't seen Haengun in a while. Do you still have him?"

Minho looked up at them. "Oh, uh. Yeah, I still have him." Jonghyun caught Minho's eye and he grinned. "Looks like I'm gonna keep him too."

**Author's Note:**

> I can't claim the cleverness of Bone Appetit as I took the name from Bone Appetit Dog Bakery . I modeled the actual shop off of one that used to exist in my town.
> 
> "dog days" comes from the dog days of summer aka the hottest part of the summer


End file.
